Wars. Bombs. Explosions. People dying. Such are our modern-day truths that we block out subconsciously. We register the pain and suffering of affected thousands, but don’t remember it. And that is precisely the manner of reaction that electronic mood music makers, Paloma and Adil, aspire to change with their thought-provoking video titled, Keep Me in Mind. The duo is critically acclaimed for their ability to create moods with sounds, melodies, ambience and vocals. The base is electronic music channelled through beats, loopers and soundscapes controlled by guitarist Adil Rashid.
This leaves Paloma Majumder, an acclaimed singer, free to orchestrate the mood with her voice. It reaches people’s bodies as much as their ears, and sets them free to groove. The created moods are generally on the lighter side. Feelings evoked can range from traversing dark underbellies of urban society to floating in space among millions of stars. The five-song EP Alonely, released in March last year, turned a lot of heads in the indie music scene. Today, Paloma and Adil are common names across city cafés and pubs.
Currently being shot DIY (Do It Yourself) style by Adil, guitarist of the rap-rock band Underground Authority, the video’s protagonist is portrayed by his bandmate Soumyadeep ‘Bubbla’ Bhattacharya. It depicts the life of a common joe, and its highs and lows, however insignificant, on a grand scale. The goal is to become aware of the collateral damage caused to families stricken by deaths, and crippling injuries as a result of war — indirect survivors whose lives do not matter to the powers taking these barbaric decisions.
“Thematically, Keep Me in Mind is different from the rest of the EP. It is more serious and heavier. The music has a soulful vibe, and uses a lot of piano tones, unlike other songs,” says Paloma, who is also the video’s executive producer. It stars their friends like actor Ananya Sen playing different characters, and will be edited by Ujan Ganguly. Since it involves a lot of prosthetics, the editing process will be expensive and time-consuming. The video is expected to be released next month. Keep Me in Mind is a follow up to the videos of Monkey Mind and Fly a Little. They hope that whoever watches the video will think of war, and how it affects families. “It’s about people who are not remembered,” offers Paloma.